Musicians Mourn the Death of Guitarist Allan Holdsworth

ANAHEIM, CA - JANUARY 20: Guitarist Allan Holdsworth attends the 2017 NAMM Show at the Anaheim Convention Center on January 20, 2017 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for NAMM)

By Annie Reuter

Respected rock and jazz guitarist and composer Allan Holdsworth died on Saturday (April 15). He was 70. Well known for his complex time signatures and astonishing leads, Holdsworth had collaborated with and influenced many artists. His work with Soft Machine was well-respected and he also played with Yes before launching his solo career. Eddie Van Halen played a key role in helping to promote Holdsworth and he inspired a legion of guitarists, including Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and Yngwie Malmsteen.

While Holdsworth first came to popularity in the 1970s, he continued making music well into his 60s. His last album, Tales From the Vault, was released in 2015. In addition to being lauded for his innovative soloing, which included Van-Halen-style tapping, Holdsworth was known for his use of the SynthAxe, a rare fretted MIDI controller.

Numerous artists have paid tribute to the late guitarist on social media, including Satriani, Toto’s Steve Lukather, Peter Frampton and Journey’s Neal Schon. While many cite Holdsworth as an inspiration, Frampton called him a “brilliant unique guitar master player.”

R.I.P. Allan Holdsworth. You remain an enormous inspiration to me. Your beautiful music will live on forever. pic.twitter.com/UEpuqCTm8s